Prep Football: State final a homecoming for Lena-Winslow's Brendan Berens

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By Joey BaskervilleThe Journal-Standard

Rockford Register Star

By Joey BaskervilleThe Journal-Standard

Posted Nov. 28, 2013 at 10:01 AM

By Joey BaskervilleThe Journal-Standard

Posted Nov. 28, 2013 at 10:01 AM

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Downs Tri-Valley vs. Lena-Winslow

When: 10 a.m.

Where: DeKalb (Huskie Stadium)

Radio: 102.1 FM and on the internet at “www.BigRadio.fm”

Records: Dow...

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Downs Tri-Valley vs. Lena-Winslow

When: 10 a.m.

Where: DeKalb (Huskie Stadium)

Radio: 102.1 FM and on the internet at “www.BigRadio.fm”

Records: Downs Tri-Valley 13-0, Lena-Winslow 10-3

Notes: This is Lena-Winslow’s second appearance at the state title game. The Panthers beat Tuscola 47-14 in 2010 to clinch the program’s first-ever state championship, finishing the year 13-1. ... Tri-Valley is making its first-ever state appearance as an individual team, but co-oped with LeRoy. The Panthers reached won the state championship in 1996 and finished as runner-up in 2001, the last year Tri-Valley co-opped with LeRoy before forming its own football program in 2002. ... After a slow start to the season due to an ankle injury, Tyler Oakley has amassed 1506 rushing yards with 16 TDs, including his 306 yards and three scores last week against Chicago Leo in the semifinals. ... Le-Win’s defense has surrendered 16.5 points per game in the postseason. Tri-Valley has given up 13.5, including just six points to last year’s state champion Maroa-Forsyth in the semis. ... Lena-Winslow’s offensive line averages 6 feet tall and 222 pounds, while Tri-Valley’s defensive line averages 5-11, 194. By comparison, Tri-Valley’s offensive line and Le-Win’s defensive line both average roughly 5-11, 201 pounds. .... Tri-Valley is led on defense by lineman Lucas Hammer, who has 88 solo tackles and 24 sacks, while LB Caleb Wilson had 69 solo tackles and 17 sacks. The Vikings’ run-heavy offense is led by 5-10 senior RB Braden Herrman, who has rushed for 1,398 yards and 22 TDs. Wilson adds 1,235 yards and 18 TDs, while sophomore QB Peyton Roop has 868 yards and 11 TDs. Roop is 9 of 28 passing for 106 yards. All four of his TD passes have gone to Derek Wegman, who leads the teams with five receptions for 61 yards. Wilso has had the other four receptions. ... Le-Win QB Ben Moest is 209 yards shy of tying Greg Dammann’s school record of 1,484 passing yards. Dammann is the only other known QB to throw for 1,000 yards in program history. Moest has also thrown for 19 TDs, which is believed to be a school passing record. ... Kicker Adam Wright and offensive right tackle Mitchell Temperly are the only two players that appear on both the 2010 and 2013 playoff rosters that went to state.

For most Lena-Winslow players, today’s trip to DeKalb will be a place to visit and play their state title game against Downs Tri-Valley.

For Panthers center Brendan Berens, it’s a bit of a homecoming.

“When I was a freshman I went to high school in DeKalb,” the senior lineman said. “It’s kind of a homecoming for me to come back and play in front of my old friends from there that are going to come to the game.”

Berens lived in DeKalb for a year before returning to Lena his sophomore seasone. And when he returned to the Panthers, he returned to the football field as well.

“I lived in Lena from sixth through eighth grade,” Berens said. “It was really fortunate for me to come back to Lena my sophomore year because I played football in junior high, but I didn’t play freshman year in DeKalb.

“Coach A (Ric Arand) convinced me to play, because I wasn’t going to my sophomore year.”

The lineman had a lot of competition to sift through playing at guard, his desired position.

“They tested me out at center for a few games and I’ve played it from there on out,” Berens said. “I was the backup center last year and this year I’m starting.”

Add Berens to the list of offensive linemen this year that had little varsity starting experience up front. Left guard Dyllan Oberle played fullback a season ago, right guard Gus Werhane played tight end and fullback, and left tackle Joe Milliken is a sophomore playing his first year at the varsity level.

Mitchell Temperly, who was on the Panthers’ 2010 state championship playoff roster, is the most experienced lineman on the team. He will be making his second state trip, albeit in a much more important role.

The Panthers will face a tough Vikings (13-0) team that, like Le-Win, wasn’t expected to reach the state championship game.

The similarities don’t end there.

“They’re kind of like a twin of Lena almost,” Berens said. “They’re a run-it-down-the-gut team.

“They run a lot like Forreston, where they do first-back, second-back option. It’s an advantage because we’ve played teams that have run that this year.”

Le-Win will have to defend against two 1,000-yard backs, as Tri-Valley’s Braden Herrman (1,398 yards, 22 TDs) and Caleb Wilson (1,235 yards, 18 TDs) lead the charge. Sophomore quarterback Peyton Roop adds 868 yards and 11 TDs for the Vikings.

Page 2 of 2 - Tri-Valley’s offense won’t be unfamiliar for the Panthers. For Berens, neither will the surroundings at Northern Illinois University, including Huskie Stadium. The senior was just recently accepted into NIU.

“I’ve always wanted to go there,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to play on the field.”

The Panthers are champing at the bit to get on that field for its final football game of year and for some, their final organized football game of their careers.

“All we’ve talked about this week at school is what we’re going to do when we get down there,” Berens said. “I haven’t focused on school at all.